This area is reached by following the flowing river from the north, and carefully walking along the side of the lake. The lake itself is very calm, although it is really just a very slow moving river, which is why it never freezes, even with the water being freezing cold. There is always mist present, from the warmer air heating the cold water.
The lake is filling a small valley, and it is surprisingly deep, farther than most people could swim. There is very little life in the lake, as nothing can grow or thrive off the rocks of the cliffs, and no fish have been transplanted to these heights.
The area is surprisingly calming, and it is not unusual to see signs of people that have camped out, or are still camping. There are no beaches, just rocks, but the sounds of the water, and appearance of the lake can be soothing.

There was a storm on the horizon. Rise did not need to see it know this was true. She has lived in the Land of Lighting for far too long to not be able sense it. Still, she kept floating close to the center of Raiun Lake, eyes closed in bliss, and utterly devoid of any clothing. Those were entrusted to the small, black hill resting just a few meters from the lake's edge. The bear known as 'Major' didn't much care for playing shelf, but he knew better than to shrug off his burden.
So, Major laid there on his stomach, absently keeping an eye out from trouble coming down one of the major paths leading up to Raiun Lake. The wind this late in the afternoon didn't exactly favor the beast, but to move or do more meant getting up. And besides, Major was promised a treat if he should dissuade folk from coming too close to the lake. While Rise may have been obligated to let folks know back at the village where she was headed to, this did not mean she had to make it easy on folk to come get her.

Hayase had accompanied the Kiri diplomats who came to the Land of Lightning. They would undergo their negotiations, while she would pursue a different kind of goal. And she hadn't been sneaky about her intentions. She went to every venue related to battling. Visiting the Arena, the training center, even the clan villages that would allow her in. In a rather bold move she didn't take her Kirigakure forehead protector off, which is tied around her arm. That had drawn a bit of suspicion, despite the recent alliance between their two nations.
But she found she liked the natural terrain more than the village. She got to see a few interesting things, from training on the bridge to meditation on the waterfall. And now…a bear!?! Major probably gets his fair share of stares, and Hayase is no exception. As she strolls down into the lake she half reaches up to grab the katana on her back, but then stops. There are people nearby, and none seem to be hunting down the bear, or vice versa. She approaches very, very cautiously. "Is that a…a friend of yours?" she asks the shinobi closest to the bear. Rise.

Major lifts his head from atop paws as soon as Hayase comes within eyesight, but doesn't immediately threaten girl. Not intentionally, at least, but the motion might be what had warranted the reach for a weapon. Either way, Major keeps a close eye on Hayase, and only starts to bare his teeth once she gets closer to the lake. It is usual at this point most crap their pants, consider bribery, or run away at that point. The fact that she continued, if albeit more cautiously, threw the bear off long enough for the questioned to be asked in relative safety.
"If yer look'n to take a dip, then yer free to do it. Just don't botha me." Rise states dryly without opening her eyes. Which might explain why she hadn't notice how close she drifted to the beach. "'nd I'd suggest ya don't bother Major over there. He might not act like it, but he ain't quite as nice as I am."

A bear. She's seen so few. It just wasn't as prominent in Kiri, as compared to the bugs, reptiles, and more slimy monsters in Kiri. So for a long time Hayase stares with open frankness at Major, and doesn't respond to Rise's warning. But finally she claps, just like a little girl clapping excitedly over something fun. "Major is the furriest, biggest, most wonderful animal I've ever seen!" she says, with complete sincerity. "Just wonderful. You're so lucky to have such a strong and splendid companion. I wish there were more animals like Major in Kiri."
She lets out a long breath. "But I babble. I'm a Kirigakure Genin, Maki Hayase." She actually bows to both of them. "I've come to see some things far more interesting than any lake."

Whereas Major's eyes only widen slightly, Rise's own pair snap open at the sound of clapping, muffled though it was by water. And for a short while she just stares up into the sky, completely bemused. Major gets over the shock first, though even then he can think of doing no more than shuffle back a foot away from Hayase. "That-…" Rise starts to say, only to hesitate upon hearing the drawn out breathe.
"… Alright, you have my attention." Rise rights herself so that she more or less treading water with only her tip of her shoulders exposed above the surface of the lake. "What sorta things, Hayase-san? 'nd don't botha try'na play halvies wit' me. Major there can sniff out lies pretty darn good, 'nd he'll let me know if ya do." She states flatly, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Hayase blinks and looks suspiciously at Major. Can he really sniff out lies…literally. She scratches her head, as if considering how she might proceed. Then she shrugs. "I'm here for a week with some of my superiors. I came here to learn an amazing taijutsu technique my fellow Kiri shinobi know nothing about. Because I suspect, one day, my friends will try to kill me. And they know every one of my techniques." She speaks with unflinching honesty, and both Major and Rise would be able to tell. She's telling the truth. Then she bows. "You must be proficient. Okay, I admit that a Genin recommended me down to you. If you teach me a technique that's completely over the top, I promise in exchange I'll learn it in less than a week."

It was a lie. Sort of. Rise did not actually know with any certainty, but trusted Major's animal instincts to protect them both. In any case, what unspoken concern about this that lingered in mind is soon swept away in the wake of Hayase's answer. "That's… a lot to take in, ya know?" She asks, skeptical but still visibly surprised as well. Rise turns to Major and gives him a look as if to ask what his thoughts on the matter were.
A short but intense moment of silence passes between the two before she closes her eyes with a defeated sigh. "I'm gonna be frank wit ya, kid. Yer pretty… what's the word? Brazen?" She pauses and looks to the waters in brief consideration. "Yea! Brazen! And I like brazen. What I don't care for is half measures when it comes to the martial arts." She folds her arms beneath her chest. "So, here's the deal. I'll give ya shot on one condition. No.. make it two. The first is that I take your measure. And if I don't find ya wanton, we'll start training!" She flashes a toothy grin, revealing almost familiar shark-like teeth. "The second condition, howeva, is this… if you haven't fully gotten down what I got to teach ya by the end of this week, I'm breaking a limb. Two perhaps even. 'nd if I catch even a wiff about you not letting that heal naturally - as in, without any super medical fixes that'll have you back up in a few days to a month, I'll be coming for a bit more." She adds flatly with an intense glare.

When those words sink in, Hayase initially thinks it's a joke. Who'd make such extreme terms, a moment after they met? She looks like she's on the verge of laughter. But her look of irony fades when she sees that Rise is quite serious. The Genin grows very quiet at this point. If she wants to drop out, now is the time to do it. She can find a teacher who won't break her limbs, but where is the fun in that? And she'd be breaking the guarantee she made five seconds ago. So she says, "I believe you would. You know, I really shouldn't have felt assured you were female. Since gender really doesn't say as much as having a huge friggin bear right beside you." She glances at Major.
Then she nods. "I agree to your terms," she says. "And I'll definitely learn any technique you throw at me. But first I suppose I need to prove I'm not…hrm." She's standing in a neutral position. "So want to do this right here, right now? Or later?"

Rise's resolve does not waver for even a moment. She stood by her promises regardless of what the consequences might be. 'Its the least she would do…' She thought. Just as she closed her eyes in acceptance of Hayase's eventual surrender, hearing the exact prompts them to snap open from shock. Rise is silent for a short while longer, eyes narrowing in deep speculation. Although there is no visible movement to them, Hayase might still feel as if the entirety of her being was being taken in at once. Right down to the soul.
"What ya need to prove is if yer physically capable, and mentally ready for what I've got to teach ya." She states while beginning to stride out of the water. "Otherwise we might as well be wasting our time during this week. Not to mention I'd have to keep my word… That all the said, will meet later this evenin' for measuring. Just a couple hours shy of midnight aughta do it. Just come by Kanayama's Training Center. I'll be waiting outside." By the time Rise is done, she is on the opposite side of the bear, but not giving a bit of a show incidentally along the way.

Hayase nods in response to the set meeting place and time. But she's not looking at Rise at all. She's staring intently at Major, weighing him with her gaze. That is until Rise scrutinizes her more closely. Then she turns her attention to the Chuunin. She's gotten in with some formidable people. And useful. She smiles. "See? I told you I was searching for things more interesting than a lake. I'll be there. And you'd better be prepared for what I can prove." She gives a nod before she'd start back up the trail, though not without one final glance at Major.

This area is reached by following the flowing river from the north, and carefully walking along the side of the lake. The lake itself is very calm, although it is really just a very slow moving river, which is why it never freezes, even with the water being freezing cold. There is always mist present, from the warmer air heating the cold water.
The lake is filling a small valley, and it is surprisingly deep, farther than most people could swim. There is very little life in the lake, as nothing can grow or thrive off the rocks of the cliffs, and no fish have been transplanted to these heights.
The area is surprisingly calming, and it is not unusual to see signs of people that have camped out, or are still camping. There are no beaches, just rocks, but the sounds of the water, and appearance of the lake can be soothing.

There was a storm on the horizon. Rise did not need to see it know this was true. She has lived in the Land of Lighting for far too long to not be able sense it. Still, she kept floating close to the center of Raiun Lake, eyes closed in bliss, and utterly devoid of any clothing. Those were entrusted to the small, black hill resting just a few meters from the lake's edge. The bear known as 'Major' didn't much care for playing shelf, but he knew better than to shrug off his burden.
So, Major laid there on his stomach, absently keeping an eye out from trouble coming down one of the major paths leading up to Raiun Lake. The wind this late in the afternoon didn't exactly favor the beast, but to move or do more meant getting up. And besides, Major was promised a treat if he should dissuade folk from coming too close to the lake. While Rise may have been obligated to let folks know back at the village where she was headed to, this did not mean she had to make it easy on folk to come get her.

Hayase had accompanied the Kiri diplomats who came to the Land of Lightning. They would undergo their negotiations, while she would pursue a different kind of goal. And she hadn't been sneaky about her intentions. She went to every venue related to battling. Visiting the Arena, the training center, even the clan villages that would allow her in. In a rather bold move she didn't take her Kirigakure forehead protector off, which is tied around her arm. That had drawn a bit of suspicion, despite the recent alliance between their two nations.
But she found she liked the natural terrain more than the village. She got to see a few interesting things, from training on the bridge to meditation on the waterfall. And now…a bear!?! Major probably gets his fair share of stares, and Hayase is no exception. As she strolls down into the lake she half reaches up to grab the katana on her back, but then stops. There are people nearby, and none seem to be hunting down the bear, or vice versa. She approaches very, very cautiously. "Is that a…a friend of yours?" she asks the shinobi closest to the bear. Rise.

Major lifts his head from atop paws as soon as Hayase comes within eyesight, but doesn't immediately threaten girl. Not intentionally, at least, but the motion might be what had warranted the reach for a weapon. Either way, Major keeps a close eye on Hayase, and only starts to bare his teeth once she gets closer to the lake. It is usual at this point most **** their pants, consider bribery, or run away at that point. The fact that she continued, if albeit more cautiously, threw the bear off long enough for the questioned to be asked in relative safety.
"If yer look'n to take a dip, then yer free to do it. Just don't botha me." Rise states dryly without opening her eyes. Which might explain why she hadn't notice how close she drifted to the beach. "'nd I'd suggest ya don't bother Major over there. He might not act like it, but he ain't quite as nice as I am."

A bear. She's seen so few. It just wasn't as prominent in Kiri, as compared to the bugs, reptiles, and more slimy monsters in Kiri. So for a long time Hayase stares with open frankness at Major, and doesn't respond to Rise's warning. But finally she claps, just like a little girl clapping excitedly over something fun. "Major is the furriest, biggest, most wonderful animal I've ever seen!" she says, with complete sincerity. "Just wonderful. You're so lucky to have such a strong and splendid companion. I wish there were more animals like Major in Kiri."
She lets out a long breath. "But I babble. I'm a Kirigakure Genin, Maki Hayase." She actually bows to both of them. "I've come to see some things far more interesting than any lake."

Whereas Major's eyes only widen slightly, Rise's own pair snap open at the sound of clapping, muffled though it was by water. And for a short while she just stares up into the sky, completely bemused. Major gets over the shock first, though even then he can think of doing no more than shuffle back a foot away from Hayase. "That-…" Rise starts to say, only to hesitate upon hearing the drawn out breathe.
"… Alright, you have my attention." Rise rights herself so that she more or less treading water with only her tip of her shoulders exposed above the surface of the lake. "What sorta things, Hayase-san? 'nd don't botha try'na play halvies wit' me. Major there can sniff out lies pretty darn good, 'nd he'll let me know if ya do." She states flatly, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Hayase blinks and looks suspiciously at Major. Can he really sniff out lies…literally. She scratches her head, as if considering how she might proceed. Then she shrugs. "I'm here for a week with some of my superiors. I came here to learn an amazing taijutsu technique my fellow Kiri shinobi know nothing about. Because I suspect, one day, my friends will try to kill me. And they know every one of my techniques." She speaks with unflinching honesty, and both Major and Rise would be able to tell. She's telling the truth. Then she bows. "You must be proficient. Okay, I admit that a Genin recommended me down to you. If you teach me a technique that's completely over the top, I promise in exchange I'll learn it in less than a week."

It was a lie. Sort of. Rise did not actually know with any certainty, but trusted Major's animal instincts to protect them both. In any case, what unspoken concern about this that lingered in mind is soon swept away in the wake of Hayase's answer. "That's… a lot to take in, ya know?" She asks, skeptical but still visibly surprised as well. Rise turns to Major and gives him a look as if to ask what his thoughts on the matter were.
A short but intense moment of silence passes between the two before she closes her eyes with a defeated sigh. "I'm gonna be frank wit ya, kid. Yer pretty… what's the word? Brazen?" She pauses and looks to the waters in brief consideration. "Yea! Brazen! And I like brazen. What I don't care for is half measures when it comes to the martial arts." She folds her arms beneath her chest. "So, here's the deal. I'll give ya shot on one condition. No.. make it two. The first is that I take your measure. And if I don't find ya wanton, we'll start training!" She flashes a toothy grin, revealing almost familiar shark-like teeth. "The second condition, howeva, is this… if you haven't fully gotten down what I got to teach ya by the end of this week, I'm breaking a limb. Two perhaps even. 'nd if I catch even a wiff about you not letting that heal naturally - as in, without any super medical fixes that'll have you back up in a few days to a month, I'll be coming for a bit more." She adds flatly with an intense glare.

When those words sink in, Hayase initially thinks it's a joke. Who'd make such extreme terms, a moment after they met? She looks like she's on the verge of laughter. But her look of irony fades when she sees that Rise is quite serious. The Genin grows very quiet at this point. If she wants to drop out, now is the time to do it. She can find a teacher who won't break her limbs, but where is the fun in that? And she'd be breaking the guarantee she made five seconds ago. So she says, "I believe you would. You know, I really shouldn't have felt assured you were female. Since gender really doesn't say as much as having a huge friggin bear right beside you." She glances at Major.
Then she nods. "I agree to your terms," she says. "And I'll definitely learn any technique you throw at me. But first I suppose I need to prove I'm not…hrm." She's standing in a neutral position. "So want to do this right here, right now? Or later?"

Rise's resolve does not waver for even a moment. She stood by her promises regardless of what the consequences might be. 'Its the least she would do…' She thought. Just as she closed her eyes in acceptance of Hayase's eventual surrender, hearing the exact prompts them to snap open from shock. Rise is silent for a short while longer, eyes narrowing in deep speculation. Although there is no visible movement to them, Hayase might still feel as if the entirety of her being was being taken in at once. Right down to the soul.
"What ya need to prove is if yer physically capable, and mentally ready for what I've got to teach ya." She states while beginning to stride out of the water. "Otherwise we might as well be wasting our time during this week. Not to mention I'd have to keep my word… That all the said, will meet later this evenin' for measuring. Just a couple hours shy of midnight aughta do it. Just come by Kanayama's Training Center. I'll be waiting outside." By the time Rise is done, she is on the opposite side of the bear, but not giving a bit of a show incidentally along the way.

Hayase nods in response to the set meeting place and time. But she's not looking at Rise at all. She's staring intently at Major, weighing him with her gaze. That is until Rise scrutinizes her more closely. Then she turns her attention to the Chuunin. She's gotten in with some formidable people. And useful. She smiles. "See? I told you I was searching for things more interesting than a lake. I'll be there. And you'd better be prepared for what I can prove." She gives a nod before she'd start back up the trail, though not without one final glance at Major.